tab

noun15

1. •
   A small flap or strip of material attached to or inserted into something, for holding, manipulation, identification, opening etc.

   • "His name was written upon a tab within it - Maple White, Lake Avenue, Detroit, Michigan." — 1912
2. •
   A navigational widget, resembling a physical tab, for switching between documents or sets of controls.
3. •
   The page or form (for example, on a web browser or file manager) associated with such a navigational widget.

   • How many tabs are open on your browser right now?
4. •
   The cost or bill for anything.

   • Moreover, at a tab of $9 million, the system's price is about $1 million less than a conventional heating-cooling plant […] — 1984
5. •
   (informal) A restaurant bill.
6. •
   (informal) Credit account, e.g., in a shop or bar; slate.

   • Put this round on my tab, please, barman.
7. •
   A form of musical notation indicating fingering rather than the pitch of notes, commonly used for stringed instruments.
8. •
   A space character that extends to the next aligned column, traditionally used for tabulation.

   • No no no no I don't, it's not hate, hate is a strong word, truth be told I do have a slight preference for tabs but that's only because I'm anal and because I prefer precision. — 2016
9. •
   (informal) A tablet, especially one containing illicit drugs.

   • Tonight the kids will go out and party down in a more righteous mode. Alcohol and not a few tabs of X will be ingested. Club music will throb through big speakers. — 2008
10. •
    (informal) A tabloid newspaper.

    • By 1926 the tabloid mania was at full tilt, and the tabs in New York went at each other with hammer and tong. — 1999
11. •
    A cigarette.

    • Lend us a tab!
12. •
    (slang) An ear.
13. •
    (slang) A fast march or run with full kit.
14. •
    (informal) A tableau curtain.
15. •
    A student of Cambridge University.

    • Before Rachel gets in with a stab at the Tabs' coxing efforts, may I say that my experience of coxes on the Isis is somewhat similar. — 1995

verb2

1. •
   To use the Tab key on a computer to advance the cursor or move the input focus, or on a typewriter to advance the carriage.

   • You can prevent a control from getting the focus when the user is tabbing between controls by settings its IsTabStop property to False. — 2010
2. •
   To affix with tabs; to label.

noun1

1. •
   A key on a computer keyboard that typically inserts a tab or moves the input focus.